Compare towns
Marblehead vs Burlington vs Salem
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Marblehead has the most people working from home (34%).
Burlington has the shortest commute (28 min average).
Salem has the most renters (50.3% rent).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Marblehead | Burlington | Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,413Lowest |
26,274 |
44,795Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7.6% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2Highest 23% above MA |
45.9±2.2 15% above MA |
39.3±1.5Lowest about the MA average |
| Marblehead and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.1%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
15.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
21.9%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
17.2%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Marblehead and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 78.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
58.4% MA: 47.3% |
47.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.6%±1 MA: 7.9% |
8.2%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $182,132±$28kHighest 75% above MA |
$146,436±$14k 41% above MA |
$85,153±$5kLowest 18% below MA |
| Marblehead and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $943,900±$31kHighest 68% above MA |
$740,600±$35k 32% above MA |
$542,800±$18kLowest 3% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147Lowest about the MA average |
$2,718±$368Highest 54% above MA |
$1,836±$84 4% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,309Highest 39% above MA |
$6,165 about the MA average |
$6,114Lowest about the MA average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
50.4%±10.7 MA: 51.8% |
54.9%±4.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Salem and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.9% MA: 10% |
12.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
74.2% MA: 62.5% |
49.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944 20 yrs older than MA |
1972Highest 8 yrs newer than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 13% above MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
29 min about the MA average |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.5%±3.2 MA: 18.6% |
21.6%±2.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #47 of 282 in MA | #83 of 282 in MA | #248 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Burlington | Salem |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | Burlington High | Salem High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
11.3Highest |
9.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.